Critical Ethics Training Every Victim Advocate Should Have

Training information and notices are typically relegated to my Advocate Trainings blog however this ethics training put together by the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center contains an overview of what I consider essential for anyone advocating for victims of interpersonal violence and other crimes. All materials are downloadable for an experienced advocate/ trainer to conduct the class including manuals, power point slides and movie vignettes. The following topics included in this training should be mandatory for everyone working in the field:
-Boundary Issues
-Confidentiality
-Legal Advocacy vs. Legal Advice
-Professional Competence

From the site:
This training, Ethics in Victim Services, explores common ethical conflicts and how to apply ethical standards and decisionmaking to resolve them. There are several goals associated with this training:
-To increase self-awareness and understanding of how attitudes and beliefs influence responses to victims of crime.
-To become familiar with and be able to apply the Standards for Victim Assistance Programs and Providers developed by the National Victim Assistance Standards Consortium.
-To recognize when a person is acting in an ethically questionable way.
-To use a standard decisionmaking process when faced with an ethical dilemma.
The participants will learn information and skills related to:
-Values and responses to victims.
-Ethics in victim services.
-Standard decisionmaking process.
Target Audience
The training is designed for those who work in the field of victim services with at least 2 years of experience. The training material is useful for both supervisors and direct services staff.
To be most effective and best use the participatory techniques in the training, enrollment should be limited to 40 participants.
Instructor Requirements
Instructors for Ethics in Victim Services should have
practical experience as a victim advocate/counselor.
Experience conducting training, particularly experiential and interactive (rather than lecture-based) programs.